PETIT POUCET RUNS FOR TANAKA IN DERBY
Petit Poucet, a leading candidate for Sunday's $400,000 Crown Royal Hollywood
Derby, has been purchased by Gary Tanaka from Stavros Niarchos. He will be saddled
by French trainer Nicolas Clement in the Grade I Derby, then he will be transferred to
the barn of Rodney Rash to embark on a North American campaign.
Clement, who has sent out the French-based Petit Poucet to win two of eight starts, hopes an earlier trip to North America will aid his chances in Sunday's
1 1/8-mile Derby. Petit Poucet ran third in the Grade I Secretariat at Arlington International in August, beaten less than a length by fellow Derby starter Hawk Attack and Mecke.
"He arrived here Monday," Clement said Friday morning. "He traveled well because he's already been to Chicago. He ran very good there. He lacked a bit of room at the end. He's shown he can handle the American tracks and we think he will run well here."
Petit Poucet, a winner of two of eight starts for earnings of $174,202, finished second in his only start since the Secretariat -- the Group 2 Prix du Rond-Point at Longchamp on Oct. 1.
"He ran second behind Shaanxi, a very nice horse," Clement said. "He didn't run that well in the Breeders' Cup, but I think he was a tired horse. We decided to freshen him up after that race. He's had no setbacks. We've had good weather in France and his routine has not been interrupted."
Cash Asmussen has the mount on Petit Poucet.
"Cash knows this horse, he's been on him the most," Clement said. "We're just hoping he's gonna make the race because he rides in the Japan Cup. He is supposed to be here at noon."
INJURY SHELVES SHEMARAN, VIA LOMBARDIA PASSES
Gary Tanaka's Shemaran will miss the $400,000 Crown Royal Hollywood Derby
after sustaining pulled muscles during a half-mile drill on the turf Thursday.
"He came out of (the workout) with some pulled muscles behind," Rash said. "The doctors are looking at him and if he doesn't get better, we'll take some X-rays."
Shemaran, a 3-year-old Irish-bred by Kahyasi, has raced just once in the U.S., finishing fifth in the Volante Handicap at Oak Tree.
Henry Pabst's Via Lombardia, meanwhile, wasn't entered in the Derby because, according to trainer Neil Drysdale, "We didn't feel he was quite ready. We're going to look for a different race, probably an (overnight handicap)."
MOSSE IN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT, WILL MISS MATRIARCH
Gerald Mosse, who was scheduled to ride Balanka in Sunday's $700,000
Matriarch, was involved in an automobile accident Thursday in Chantilly, France.
Mosse, 27, reportedly escaped serious injury but will be unable to make the trip to Los Angeles.
Reached in France, trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre was faxed a list of available replacements but said he wouldn't decide on a rider for Balanka until Sunday morning. Until then, Mosse will be listed as the jockey.
MATRIARCH RUNNERS TO BE RELEASED FROM QUARANTINE
Matiara and Balanka, who went into immediate quarantine after arriving from
France at 6 p.m. Wednesday, were scheduled to be released from the quarantine barn
at about 12:30 p.m. Friday.
"They've had an uneventful quarantine," reported Paul Kooba, superintendent of the quarantine barn. "They're eating well and they look good. If all goes well, they could be out on the training track (Friday) afternoon."
ESPN TO TELECAST MATRIARCH & DERBY
ESPN will telecast Sunday's $700,000 Matriarch and $400,000 Crown Royal
Hollywood Derby in a one-hour show that airs from 3 to 4 p.m. (PST). Chris Lincoln will host.
The Matriarch will be the sixth race on the program, post time 3:12 p.m., and the Derby goes as race seven, post time 3:42 p.m.
LATE NOMINATIONS MADE FOR A STRONGER RACE
Barbara Minshall, who saddles Canadian invader Bold Ruritana in Sunday's
$700,000 Matriarch, had no idea she'd be spending so much time in California.
The original plan was to ship Bold Ruritana from Woodbine to Santa Anita for the Yellow Ribbon Stakes on Nov. 12, and go back home to Toronto. But then, Bold Ruritana went and ran a strong third to Alpride and Angel In My Heart in the Yellow Ribbon -- earning a $72,000 check in the progress -- and giving her owners and trainer food for thought. Why not remain in California for the $700,000 Matriarch just two weeks later at the Hollywood Park Turf Festival?
Since Bold Ruritana wasn't nominated to the Matriarch, it would mean a $30,000 supplemental nomination fee for owners Shawn and Patrick Minshall, stepsons of the trainer.
"They were very smart here when they made the deadline for the late nomination after the Yellow Ribbon," Barbara Minshall said. "Otherwise, we'd be back home by now. But, by making the date after the Yellow Ribbon, we were able to see how she ran and how she came out of the (Yellow Ribbon) before we had to put up any money."
Suffice it to say, Minshall and her stepsons were pleased enough with Bold Ruritana's front-running effort in the Yellow Ribbon to put up the $30,000 to supplement her into the Matriarch.
"It's always tough when you've got to part with money," said Minshall, whose mare figures to be a medium price in the Matriarch. "But she's paid her way so far . . . and $700,000 is an awful big purse. It was just too good to pass up."
BRADSHAW'S HIGH ON URBANE
Jan, Mace and Samantha Siegel's Urbane will return to action in the
$100,000-added Bayakoa Handicap on Sunday, Dec. 3, trainer Randy Bradshaw said.
Urbane, who gave Serena's Song several memorable battles last winter at Santa Anita, hasn't raced since an 8-length romp in the $100,000 Maryland Million Oaks at Laurel on Oct. 14. Since then, she's been training up a strom for Bradshaw.
"I'm confident," Bradshaw said. "I don't say that very often, but she couldn't be doing any better. She worked six furlongs the other day in 1:11 2/5 and galloped out in 1:24 flat. The bullet that day for seven furlongs was 1:27."
Bradshaw said the long-range goal for Urbane is the La Canada Series at Santa Anita, but added he may not want to run her in the first leg -- the $125,000-added La Brea Stakes (Gr. II) on Dec. 30 -- because of the seven furlong distance.
"She can sprint, in fact I think she once set a stakes record for seven furlongs," Bradshaw said. "But to run her in the La Brea would probably mean having to shorten her up."
Early probables for the 14th running of the Bayakoa Handicap, a Grade II event at 1 1/16 miles on the main track: Urbane, Corey Nakatani, and Twice The Vice, no rider.
KINGDOM FOUND ON TRACK FOR THE ON TRUST
Dilbeck Family Trust's Kingdom Found drilled seven furlongs in a bullet 1:24
Friday at Santa Anita Park and trainer Gary Jones said the 5-year-old Cal-bred is a go
for the $100,000-added On Trust Handicap on Saturday, Dec. 2.
Kingdom Found has raced just once in the last seven months, but it was a smasher. Rallying from slighly off the pace in a $55,000 allowance race at Oak Tree on Oct. 27, Kingdom Found scored by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:15 1/5 for 6 1/2 furlongs.
Early probables for the 12th running of the On Trust Handicap, to be decided at 7 1/2 furlongs on the main track: Argolid, David Flores; Geenger Man, no rider; Goldigger's Dream, no rider, and Kingdom Found, Alex Solis.
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